Inspiration - Mt. Chestnut Presbyterian Church

727 W. Old Rt. 422 Butler, PA 16001

St. Patrick's Day Blessing
I wish you not a path devoid of clouds,
Nor a life on a bed of roses.
Nor that you should never feel pain.
My wish for you is:
That you might be brave in times of trial, when others lay crosses upon your shoulders.
When mountains must be climbed and chasms *crossed,
When hope scarce shines through.
When every gift God gave you might grow **along with you,
And let you give the gift of joy to all who care *for you.
That you might always have a friend who is **worth that name,
Who will defy the storms of life by your side.
That in every hour of joy and pain, you may be *close to God.

Lenten Feasting and Fasting

Fast from gossip: Feast on the Gospels.
Fast from junk foods; Feast on the Bread of Life.
Fast from bad news; Feast on "The Good News."
Fast from darkness; Feast on the Light.
Fast from the secular; Feast on the sacred.
Fast from despair; Feast on hope.
Fast from revenge; Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from tears of sorrow; Feast on tears of joy.
Fast from getting; Feast on giving.
Fast from complexities; Feast on simplicities.
Fast from horror; Feast from humor.
Fast from listlessness; Feast on laughter.

-Rev. James A. Gillespie

During Jesus' earthly life, colored cloth
was very expensive. Only royalty
and wealthy people could afford it.
When Jesus was arrested and
sentenced to die, the soldiers
set about humiliating him. They found a
purple cloak - the color of royalty -
and put it on him. Then they placed a
crown of thorns on Jesus' head. "Hail, King of the Jews!" they mockingly cried.
The soldiers hit Jesus with a reed and spat on him. They taunted him and knelt before him, pretending to honor him.
Despite what he endured, our Lord did end up a King - KING OF KINGS AND LORD OR LORDS!

"Sight, is not faith, and hearing is not faith, neither is feeling faith; but believing when we neither see, hear nor feel is faith; and everywhere the Bible tells us our salvation is to be by faith. Therefore we must believe before we feel, and often against our feelings, if we would honor God by our faith." -Hannah Whitall Smith